Eastbourne UKIP poster van is put out of action by vandals

A poster display van used by UKIP around Eastbourne in the run up to the General and Eastbourne Borough Council elections this week has been vandalised for the third time and put out of action.

Campaigners say that in two previous attacks, posters were defaced, but in the third and most serious incident, the van’s windows were smashed and the van itself badly damaged.

Nigel Jones, UKIP’s parliamentary candidate for Eastbourne and Willingdon, said, ”This thuggish attack shows both the desperation of our opponents and the depths they are prepared to stoop to in their attempts to undermine our successful campaign.

“This sort of cowardly violence should have no place in a democratic election campaign, but it is a backhanded tribute to the fact that UKIP is getting its message across to the people of Eastbourne and Willingdon.”

Mr Jones is in the General Election contest to become Eastbourne’s next MP along with Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd, who is defending a 3,435 majority, Labour’s Jake Lambert, Conservative Caroline Ansell, Andrew Durling from the Green Party and Independent Paul Howard.

Eastbourne goes to the polls on Thursday May 7 to elect an MP and 27 members of Eastbourne Borough Council.